Smart Phone Cameras – Does Size Really Matter?

by phoenixgenesis ·
Published June 29, 2014
· Updated December 2, 2014

Merlin examines the I LOVE CATS kitten mat.

Ray hates wearing his e-collar.

Late afternoon sun on benches.

Urban fountain in Glendale, CA

Working with setting sun flare.

It's all about perspective.

Car lights add a nice touch of red.

Suki taking a cat nap.

Merlin got a very bad summer haircut.

Cool Spongebob Nightlight.

There has been a lot of smart phones being manufactured with camera resolutions from 5MB going up to 40MB on the Nokia. Now I myself have owned numerous smart phones (including the iPhone 4s), ranging in camera resolution from 5MB up to 13MB. When I take digital pictures, 95% of the time I just post them online or print them out in 4×6 inch format or, sometimes, in 8×10 inch format. I noticed, however, that the quality from a 5MB camera and 13MB camera is the same to the undiscerning eye.

So what I’m trying to state is the following: One really does not need a smart phone with a 20MB or 40MB camera on it if most of the time he or she is using it to display photos online on Facebook or other social media such as Instagram, Flickr, or Pinterest. Add to the fact that when you upload photos to a social media website, most of them reduce the quality of your photos to conserve space on their site. So, if you plan on getting a smart phone that has decent photographic quality, then one with 5MB to 8MB resolution camera on it is more then adequate for your basic needs. Not only should you look for the resolution of your phone camera as a benchmark, but you should find a camera phone that focuses fairly quickly and accurately. An out-of-focus photo looks terrible at any resolution. Also, the comfort of the camera in your hands is another determining factor as well as, of course, the price range.

Merlin examines the I LOVE CATS kitten mat.

Ray hates wearing his e-collar.

Late afternoon sun on benches.

Urban fountain in Glendale, CA

Working with setting sun flare.

It’s all about perspective.

Car lights add a nice touch of red.

Suki taking a cat nap.

Merlin got a very bad summer haircut.

Cool Spongebob Nightlight.

[Editor’s Note: Photos taken on September 2013 by Des Manttari (aka, phoenixgenesis). Here I test out the iPhone 3GS camera in Glendale, California both indoors and outdoors. By employing different filters, you can get some nice artistic effects. The lack of super clear resolution combined with a sepia old-school tone makes the photo look more antique. A lot of the time, it is not the equipment used, but the creativity and knowledge of the photographer. So what are you waiting for, grab your mobile camera and Ignite Your Creativity™ . A special thanks to my cats Merlin and Suki as well as Ray my Service Dog for posing. The new Harley Flickr photo gallery launched a few days ago, so check it out NOW. Ray’s E3 2014 Adventure can be view on the new Fragcamp Flickr Photostream page HERE.]

– Mike Kaufer, Photojournalist, Phoenix Genesis

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